Maya bounced down the staircase that seemed to go on forever, twisting and turning like a lithe serpentine body.
After every few paces it would branch off into two more that led God knows where. It was like it was purposely trying to confuse those who took it.
Honestly, by now I would not know which way we had come. Every time I thought she would take a certain direction she went the opposite way.
I could swear we were now so deep from the ground floor of the hotel that it was illegal.
I was sure state laws blurred underground development beyond a certain depth.
Then again, I would pity the person who came to enforce that here. Maybe they had paid it a visit and probably got brainwashed or suffered one of the many in house punishments this place had to offer.
"Where are we going" I finally asked, having got sick of turning only to see another endless descent.
Maya froze midstep. "Almost there sire" she answered before resuming the walk and taking yet another turn.
I noticed she looked much more cheerful here than above ground. But then what did I expect from a rat. I mean tunneling was their specialty.
"What is this place anyway..."
It was not that I had fully accepted my fate yet, no. I only wished to gather as much info as I could just in case an opportunity to flee presented itself.
I recalled the last bit of description on my job offer.
"What is the Neutral Zone"
My guide did not answer right away. She let the question hang for a while before coming to another abrupt stop.
"It is in the name sire. It is a place under no domain and with no allegiance. Neutral to all."
"Try explaining that to the government," I scoffed. "I am guessing you have not. Seeing as the place is still intact?"
She turned around to look at me.
"Sire does not believe that."
I quickly noticed that my guide did not seem to be capable of talking and walking at the same time. Every time I asked a question she would first stop, answer, then resume walking.
I let her go down a couple of stairs before deciding to test my observation.
"If the place does not have any allegiance, then who owns it"
The hotel was definitely an expensive investment. Someone had to be behind it and it would have to be serving his or her goals.
True enough, she took a few more steps before stopping.
"The Zone always has been. In one form or another. The Midstreet Hotel however is its own master. Its allegiance is to the serving caretaker."
That piece of information caught me off guard.
"What... a building owns itself... and..." I trailed.
Loyal to the serving caretaker meant...
"Me?"
I exclaimed, almost tumbling down as I closed the distance between us.
"You are saying this entire hotel is loyal to me?"
Her little rat head bobbed up and down. "Sire is the current caretaker."
I stood up as a string of thought lined up inside my mind.
All this time I had been thinking the rat was taking me to its master. You know, the guy who had blackmailed and hired me.
Turns out it is the damn building.
And it was loyal to me.
I turned to Maya once more.
"If that is true does that mean you serve me?"
The head did not bob this time. She seemed to be considering her answer. She was not a fool. The rat must have guessed where I was heading with this.
Still, it was too late to stop me now.
"We all serve the house..."
I waved off her cunning attempt to avoid answering the question.
"Tell me the truth..." I began, forcing some authority into my voice. "If I ask you to guide me back and let me go, will you?"
Again she hesitated briefly before nodding. A new kind of look however had fallen on her tiny face.
"Sire must not ask that of Maya... Maya will never forgive herself."
It was a plea and an answer at the same time. She was saying she could let me go. But she was also hinting that the consequences would be so severe that she could not forgive herself.
"Sire must see this before he makes that decision."
She turned and resumed her bounce down the staircase, though now it was with a little less flare than before.
I quickly fell behind her. I was now more curious about what she was going to show me that had her frightened this bad.
Why would I want to see it before asking her to free me?
When we finally got to the bottom this time there were no more diverging routes. Instead the staircase brought us right outside a massive black double door.
Maya merely tapped at it and the doors swung open by themselves.
I stood a couple of steps behind and waited for her to go in.
She did not.
Instead she too stepped aside and curtseyed.
"If sire pleases."
Hesitant, I cautiously moved past her and through the door.
"Holy crap..." I screamed, jumping back and accidentally flooring Maya as I retreated from the room.
The door opened to a large hall the size of a car showroom, and all across every square inch was covered with row after row of rats.
All of them the size of Maya. They stood on alert like a military parade waiting to welcome their commander in chief.
Maya quickly recovered back to her feet and rushed to retrieve the papers that had scattered. Then stepping into the room she joined the multitude of rats staring at me.
Together, as if linked by the same program, they bowed and spoke in complete unison.
"The Midstreet welcomes you sire."
The roar of their little voices still did not break me out of my shock induced trance.
My eyes flew through the lines and lines of rats until they fell back on Maya standing at the front.
Now I found myself understanding the reason for her fear earlier. Slowly I stepped into the door ignoring my trembling body.
"Maya..." I said, crouching in front of my guide. "Were all of you the caretaker once?"
And with a mournful look, Maya's head gave a sad nod.